#6 Xavier Volleyball met the #11 Mountain View (Mesa) Toros Thursday night on the Gators' home court in Round 1 of the 6A State Volleyball Tournament. The Gators jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first set to foreshadow the ensuing outcome.

Xavier won in straight sets 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-12). The only times Mountain View led was when they scored the first point in each of the first two sets, and in the 3rd set when they showed signs of life until Xavier scored to force a 7-7 tie. 

Once Mountain View scored their 12th point in the final set to update Xavier's lead to 18-12, they ran out of gas and failed to score another point the rest of the way.

The storyline for this match did not involve tension, drama, overcoming adversity, or the like. No, it was just two teams playing in real life exactly how they looked on paper. .

Dramatic storylines will have to wait until the #6 Xavier Gators visit the #3 Liberty Lions next Tuesday, 11/10, at 6pm for the 6A State Championship Quarterfinals. 

Will the Gators rise to the occasion to produce an upset over the higher-ranked Lions? Will their confidence, focus, and amazing volleyball skills pave a path to victory? Can the Gators survive the quarterfinal battle and earn the privilege of stepping onto semifinal floors, greeted by the sound of the cheers from their adoring fans?

Without an entertaining storyline for Thursday's match-up, let's check out the crushing kills, amazing digs, smothering blocks, outstanding teamwork, and overpowering service aces from our Gators in the highlight video below.